


Change Is Good, Sometimes

by Puregold



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Study, Coming Out, Crime Fighting, Family, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Issues, Gay!Drake Mallard, Gen, Homelessness, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Violence, Sort Of, Trans Male Character, Trans!Drake Mallard, Transphobia, getting kicked out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-07-12 04:16:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19940065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Puregold/pseuds/Puregold
Summary: When Gosalyn asks about her grandparents on Drake's side of the family, it brings back some unpleasant memories and uncomfortable conversation.





	Change Is Good, Sometimes

**Author's Note:**

> TW for use of the slur f*ggot in the opening scene. Also I'm not like good at writing fighting scenes and thats kinda not what this fic is about lmaoo

Launchpad had... Seen it before, or at least gotten a glimpse into what Drake's life was like before he became Darkwing Duck. They were on patrol in the streets of St. Canard, Darkwing prowling silently on the back of his famed Ratcatcher. Any criminals or wrong-doers that saw the beams of light or heard the engine of the vehicle purr would run off, tails between their legs in fright. At least, most did.

"Watcha gonna do about it, faggot?"

Darkwing had practically slammed his breaks in alarm. It took a second for him and Launchpad to process where the shouts were coming from, shocked by the slur.

"That's all I have, seriously, I'm broke!" Cried out a different voice, clearly in pain.

At that, Darkwing swept into the dark alleyway behind them with Launchpad in tow. "I am the terror that flaps in the night..." He began his monologue from the shadows "I am the angry gay that punches out homophobe's lights... I am..." He emerged from the shadows, jumping on top of a dumpster and towering over the two pigeons caught in the act mugging a black lab. "Darkwing Duck!"

"Oh buzz off Darkwing, before you get yourself seriously _hurt._ " Replied one of them, holding up a rather sharp-looking knife.

Darkwing laughed mockingly at the criminals before diving in to deliver a blow to the knife-wielder's cheek. The other one quickly protested by jumping onto Darkwing's back and attempting a choke-hold, but was quickly thwarted as Darkwing slammed back into the wall of the alleyway and pinned his assailant behind him. Meanwhile, Launchpad helped the victim of the mugging onto his feet and retrieved his things, assessing his injuries. The fight was over quickly, as these were only minor thugs, not any kind of major threat or supervillian. The foes flopped onto the ground, unconscious, and Darkwing ran over to Launchpad and the victim.

"Are you two alright? Did you know these men?" Asked Darkwing.

"Well, you can hardly call them _men_." The teenager replied with a slight scoff. "Yeah I know 'em, they go to my highschool. They're just some jerks is all." After that, the lab blinked twice and snapped to attention, as if he just realized who he was talking to. "Th-thank you, though, Mr. Darkwing, sir. For, uh, helping me out there."

Darkwing shaked his head and waved off the praise casually. "It was nothing, really. It's what I do." He beamed. "Would you like me to escort you home?"

The lab froze, sort of seizing up at the question. He then reluctantly shook his head, rubbing at the back of his neck. "I don't... Really... Have a home, anymore. My parents found out I was gay and they, uh, just kicked me out." He sighed deeply. "It's been kind of a rough night."

Launchpad saw it then, the way Drake's eyes clouded over and he tensed up. He then quickly shook his head and waved at the kid to follow him. "There's an LGBT youth center a couple blocks from here. Come with me, I'll show you."

Launchpad needn't ask why he knew where the homeless shelter was, as he had a sinking feeling about it already. Darkwing and the teen walked side-by-side, Launchpad trailing just behind them and keeping an eye out for any nefarious activities. They walked in silence for some time before Darkwing finally broke the ice.

"Y'know I, uh, I've been there. Before. The youth center? And where you're at, y'know." He sighed. "When I was 17 my... Folks found out I was trans and they, uh, kicked me out too. But, hey! I mean, I made it, clearly, and you'll make it too." Darkwing smiled brightly at the kid, projecting an aura of false confidence to lift his spirits.

"Woah, really!?" The kid went bug-eyed, staring at Darkwing with his jaw dropped. "You mean to tell me that _Darkwing Duck_ is... Is..." _Like me?_ One could practically hear the unspoken question tacked on to the end of that sentence.

Darkwing simply nodded, a smile on his face, and the excitement and bewilderment that buzzed from the kid was practically contagious. Not for Darkwing though. For Darkwing, there was a certain level of pride in helping people and helping this kid specifically, who reminded him so much of himself. But it was polluted with doubt and insecurity, things lurking from his past and leaking through into his current persona.

When the men had arrived at the youth center, Darkwing took care in helping the kid sign up and giving him advice on how to manage his recent homelessness, and Launchpad knew he was speaking from experience. When they went their separate ways, Darkwing turned and nearly ran smack into Launchpad's bulking chest.

"Is that what you did?" He asked as the two began their walk back to the Ratcatcher.

"What do you mean?" Darkwing replied, playing dumb as if that would make the conversation end sooner.

"What you... Told that kid to do. Y'know, saving every little scrap of money and finding free and cheap food, holding onto the toiletries they give you... That sort of thing? Is that what you did, too?"

Drake's breath hitched and he nearly stopped in his tracks. Oh how he wished Launchpad would just drop it, those were not very pleasant memories. "...Yes." He hesitantly replied. "I did everything I could to survive, got a job and saved up so that I could move out. It was... Hard. Really hard. I did- I did some things I'm not proud of." His eyes began to fog up and his footsteps faltered before he shook his head an regained his balance. "But that's all in the past now. I have you, and that's all that matters."

Launchpad smiled the sweetest, dopiest smile at Drake then as he took his hand and his heart felt _full_. To have the adoration of such a passionate, loving man all directed at him felt so _right_ and he felt so _loved_ in that moment. What mattered wasn't his past, what mattered was right now and that was final.

"C'mon." Drake said, a new vigor in his step. "Let's get back out there."

***************************************************************************************

It was a typical night at the Mallard-McQuack household. Drake had just finished cooking and it was lasagna night as the three gathered around the dinner table and ate. Gosalyn was just talking about her school day, what she and her friends did, that new TV show she liked, etc. All normal things considered, until she broached a rather sensitive topic.

"Hey, dad, how come I've never met my grandparents on your side?" She asked, innocently and curiously enough.

Drake almost choked on a bite of his lasagna as Launchpad patted and rubbed his back. He took a large sip of water as he recovered, all the while thinking about what he could _possibly_ tell Gosalyn about that whole situation. If he tells her he doesn't want to talk about it or that she doesn't wanna know, she will most _definitely_ either keep pressing the issue or look into it on her own and who _knows_ what will come of that. If he's too vague, she's bound to ask questions, but he doesn't exactly want to be too specific either. She's just a child, after all! She shouldn't have to know about the ways in which the world can be... Cruel to people. Not like that. While he choked on his lasagna and best contemplated how to tell his daughter about his parental situation, Gosalyn just stared at him like he was a crazy person.

Finally, Drake spoke, deciding to just take it as it came. "I, uh, your grandparents and I... Aren't really on speaking terms anymore."

"Why not?" She asked, pressing the issue as Drake knew she would.

"They just... They aren't really nice people, Gos." Drake replied with a tight and uncomfortable smile as Launchpad held his hand tightly under the table.

"Well why aren't they nice people? What'd they do?"

Drake made an uncomfortable noise in the back of his throat as he searched for an answer when Launchpad came to the rescue. "Y'know what, Gos? I don't think your dad really wants to talk about it. Maybe we should-"

"No!" Drake threw his hands up in a gesture meant to keep his boyfriend from corralling their adopted daughter away. "No, we can keep talking about it. I just... I'm thinking about my words, Gosalyn."

"Well, why do you have to go an do that?" She pressed. "You don't have to hide things from me, I know about stuff! What? Are your parents, like, super villains or something, and you used to be a bad guy and stuff?"

Drake caught himself suppressing a smile at her childish fantasies, if only he had some cool origin story like that. "No, no Gos, nothing like that." He took a deep breath as he thought how best to phrase it to a 9 year old. "Let's just say that... Some-" He sighed. "Some people... Don't like it that some families have two dads or two moms, or that some people are born girls but become boys, or some people are born boys and become girls."

"Yeah, I know." Replied Gosalyn, voice laced with sadness and anger. They didn't run into it often, but sometimes they'd received rude letters or judgmental looks from the other parents at her school. Gosalyn herself had received some bullying on the basis of having two dads. She was unfortunately no stranger to homophobia, even if she didn't know that's what it was called.

"My parents... They didn't like that I was a boy. They didn't think I was one, didn't really plan on that happening. So... When they found out I was a boy, they, uh, didn't want to talk to me anymore." There, that was good. No sense in telling her they found out when he was only 17 and he was living on the streets for a good 2 years of his life.

"Well, that's stupid!" She objected, furious. "That's no reason to stop talking to someone, that's stupid, I hate my grandparents!" She shouted, fuming. She then took a second to turn to Launchpad with wide eyes and an apologetic frown. "N-not on your side, pops! I love mema and pap-pap, honest!"

Launchpad chuckled before reaching across the table to ruffle Gosalyn's curly red hair. "Oh, I know, Gos. I know whatcha meant."

After having cleared up the potential understanding, Gosalyn turned back to Drake. "Well, you can forget about your parents, they don't know what they're missin' out on! Besides, you have us now! Right, dad?"

Drake smiled fondly at his little duckling daughter, overwhelmed with the feeling of how much he loved his family. He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear before replying, "Yes, dear."

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm in the process of writing a coming out/ADHD fic abt Dewey, but his experience is obviously gonna be hella positive. My experience... Was certainly not as bad as Drake's, but it still wasn't pleasant and I wanted to explore that aspect of my coming out experience, as well as kind of dive into Drake as a character in the 2017 ducktales.
> 
> This is also kinda laying out the groundwork for a different Launchpad/Drake fic I might write abt, like, abusive relationships becuz I have trauma an I gotta cope somehow lol


End file.
